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Serum Arginase II level can be a novel indicator for erectile dysfunction in patients with vasculogenic erectile dysfunction: a comparative study

  • Urology - Original Paper
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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the study was to compare serum level of Arginase II in patients with vasculogenic erectile dysfunction (ED) versus healthy controls and to assess if its level is affected by severity of ED.

Methods

This is a prospective study that compared Arginase II in 40 patients with ED versus 40 healthy controls. Patients were excluded if they had any pelvic trauma or pelvic surgery, hormonal disorders, Peyronie’s disease, smoking, drug addiction or systemic illnesses. ED was evaluated by the validated Arabic version of the abbreviated five-item form of the international index of erectile function (IIEF-5). Serum arginase II level was assayed using ELIZA. Mann–Whitney, Kruskal–Wallis and Chi-square tests and Spearman correlation were used as appropriate and confirmed by logistic regression model.

Results

22 (55%) patients had DM. 15 (37.5%), 7 (17%), 6 (15%) and 12 (30%) patients suffered from severe, moderate, mild to moderate and mild ED, respectively. The level of serum Arginase II was significantly higher in patients than controls (p < 0.001) and confirmed by multivariate logistic regression analysis. It also correlated significantly with age (r2 = 0.22; p < 0.001) and IIEF-5 score (r2 = 0.8; p < 0.001). Serum Arginase II increased significantly with more severe ED (p < 0.001). Arginase II was also significantly higher in diabetic patients (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Serum level of Arginase II is significantly higher in patients with vasculogenic ED compared to healthy controls. It correlates significantly with age and IIEF-5 and was significantly affected by the severity of ED.

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Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dermatology & Andrology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt

    Abdel Shakour Abdel Hafez Abdel Wahed, Mohamed Abdel Mawgood Amer & Hassan Mamdouh

  2. Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt

    Nagah Mohamed Abou Mohamed

  3. Dermatology & Andrology, Ministry of Health, Cairo, Egypt

    Mohamed Ismael Mobasher

  4. Department of Andrology & STDs, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt

    Sameh Fayek GamalEl Din

  5. Urology Department, Kasr Al-Ainy Hospitals, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt

    Mohammed Said ElSheemy

Authors
  1. Abdel Shakour Abdel Hafez Abdel Wahed
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  2. Mohamed Abdel Mawgood Amer
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  3. Nagah Mohamed Abou Mohamed
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  4. Mohamed Ismael Mobasher
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  5. Hassan Mamdouh
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  6. Sameh Fayek GamalEl Din
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  7. Mohammed Said ElSheemy
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mohammed Said ElSheemy.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. The study was approved by the local ethical committee.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Abdel Wahed, A.S.A.H., Amer, M.A., Abou Mohamed, N.M. et al. Serum Arginase II level can be a novel indicator for erectile dysfunction in patients with vasculogenic erectile dysfunction: a comparative study. Int Urol Nephrol 50, 1389–1395 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11255-018-1921-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11255-018-1921-y

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